Even if your property looks to have withstood the most recent hurricane, passing through the following checklist for faults may reveal hidden issues that you would not have seen otherwise. Here are some essential items to examine after a hurricane, such as your roof, windows, and walls.
Examine Your Roof
Roofs and other building components may be a subject of physical damage as high winds rip off these structures. Tree limbs may fall to the top of your house, causing damage or posing a risk. You may need to hire a reliable tree removal agency to help clean up if you can’t do it yourself.
Following the clean-up, check for any anomalies, no matter how little. Is there any damage to the roof, such as holes or missing shingles or seams? Water damage might have occurred if there were any gaps. If you have a chimney and gutters, you should also examine these. They may have disconnected or been damaged during the storm, resulting in water leaks.
Insurance companies usually base their judgments on these various aspects when determining whether or not to reimburse your roof losses:
- The age of the roof
- If there have been any previous damages
- If it has to be repaired or replaced
- The kind of coverage that you have purchased
Inspect Your Walls and Windows
A hurricane may affect every component of your walls. Heavy rain during the storm can leave moist spots on each side of your wall. Water may also show inside your windows, suggesting a minor leak. Beneath your property, you may be able to locate pools of water, pointing to drainage issues. Remove any standing water with a pump, as leaving it alone can lead to wood decay, mold development, and structural damage.
Fortunately, after many days following the cyclone, the dampness around your house should be able to dry. However, it would be best if you kept an eye out for remaining water after the storm has passed and most of the house has dried up, as they can cause mold.
Your exterior stucco may potentially have cracks or holes. They may signal that an impact has happened on the external wall, whether it’s major or minor. In the case of windows, look for shattered glass panes, damaged frames, or tiny holes or fractures in unexpected places.
Keep Checking for Damage
Again, you should check for these sorts of problems over several days and at various times, as you may not notice them right away. If you fail to account for these damages early enough, you might not be able to make a claim.
Analyze Your Furniture, Interior, and Equipment
Heavy rains and flying debris can enter houses through holes and breaches in walls, windows, roofs, and doors, causing damage to flooring, interior walls, and furniture. After the hurricane, mold may begin to form on the inside of your home.
The strong winds and water may also harm many pieces of equipment, including air conditioning systems, electrical equipment, computers, and boilers.
Buildings in the hurricane’s path aren’t the only ones that the cyclone can harm. Windstorms may often cause power outages, telecommunications outages, and water outages, impacting not just your home but also other homes and businesses in your neighborhood.
Investigate Your Outdoor Facilities
It’s not just your house that has to be checked for damage; your outdoor facilities also need some attention.
Examine fences for evidence of water damage, broken or missing panels, and posts that will need to be rebuilt to re-secure your border. Strong winds can cause damage to trees, pylons, and other tall, pillar-like structures. Vehicles and your home are both at risk from them. Your trees may have weathered the storm, but a slight follow-up breeze may quickly bring down a stray branch.
If your home’s insurance policy covers these sorts of losses, they may be able to assist you with tree removal and damage repair expenses, depending on the conditions.
The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine Can Help
Storm damage, no matter how modest, can lead to costly long-term issues if repairs aren’t made quickly. Detecting any damage will save you time and money, especially if the damage is extensive and necessitates contacting your insurance carrier. Avoid blunders like returning to your property too quickly without repairing any damage, throwing away damaged objects, or being unable to produce the paperwork and financial numbers when the insurance adjuster arrives.
The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can assist you in determining what rights and duties are contained in your insurance policy. We can assist you in recovering from your losses and negotiating with the insurance company on your behalf. Contact the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine for a free consultation on your storm damage insurance claim at 1-800-747-3733.
